The present invention relates to a ski pole handle with a possibility of adjusting the effective length of a strap fastened to the handle, said handle having in its upper portion a cavity through which the strap is threaded, and an element is adapted to be pressed down into the cavity in order to clamp the strap against the walls of a downwardly tapering portion of the cavity.
xe2x80x9cDownxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdownwardlyxe2x80x9d means a direction relatively to a pole situated vertically and having the handle at the top.
It is known to lock such a strap by use of a separate wedge which is pushed down into a cavity from above. In order to disengage the wedge the strap can be pulled upwardly, whereby the wedge follows it and the clamping action ceases, and the strap can be adjusted. NO Acceptance Print No. 148439 shows an example of use of such a wedge, where the wedge is fastened to an end of the strap, whereby the strap is used to pull the wedge loose for adjustment. It is also known to equip the wedge with a pulling flap or loop, in order to facilitate pulling out the wedge when adjustment is to be performed.
Moreover, from NO Acceptance Print 145068 it is known a similar principle, where the wedge is substituted by a buckle which is hinged in the cavity and clamps the strap by being pivoted into the cavity.
CH Patent No. 596859 shows a pole handle with a strap adapted to disengage when subjected to a strong snatch away from the pole in the longitudinal direction of the pole, as when the disc of the pole gets stuck or the skier falls, in order to prevent damage. One end of the strap has a hole and is hooked onto a small pin at the top of the handle, and the other end of the strap is equipped with a control knob which is fastened to the top of the handle by use of a snap connection. Because the first mentioned end of the strap has a plurality of holes for the pin the effective length of the strap can be adjusted. The strap is not threaded through any cavity in the handle where the strap can be fastened. The end of the strap hooked onto the pin is inserted through a narrow opening in the uppermost of the handle, in order to increase the resistance against detachment during normal use.
By the present invention is provided a ski pole handle appearing from the succeeding claim 1.
By the fact that the element is situated on a control knob the clamping of the strap and release thereof for adjustment of the effective length of the strap can be performed by pushing down and raising of the control knob, respectively, which means ease of operation.
The clamping element may comprise a block or wedge integral with the knob, directed downwardly in the cavity, which has a portion tapering downwardly. Additionally to the block or wedge the knob may comprise arms, one at each side of the wedge, which may have clamping borders or edges facing each other, whereby the two strap portions are clamped between a respective arm and one side of the block or wedge when the knob is pushed down relatively to the handle. The block or wedge may, whether it is used alone or together with said arms, also have external clamping borders or edges, in order to improve the clamping of the strap.
The knob may constitute a natural extension of the handle, and in order to guide the knob and to keep it positioned when being in the raised position, i.e. whereby no clamping occurs, the knob and the handle have members which mutually mesh, but which enable the necessary pushing down and raising of the knob relatively to the handle. These members may for instance be a vertical, elongated recess in a wall of the knob, possibly at two or more locations, and a cooperating protrusion, for instance a short pin, possibly at two or more locations corresponding to the recesses in the handle, whereby the protrusion or protrusions is/are inserted in the recess or recesses in the wall of the knob. The recess or recesses may have an irregular width, with one or more constrictions, whereby the constriction or constrictions must pass the pin or pins during movement of the knob relatively to the handle. A premise for this is that the knob is of a material which may be deformed elastically. Thereby, the knob has two or more well defined positions, determined by the number of constrictions (one constrictions means two defined positions, two constrictions mean three defined positions, etc.) The constriction or constrictions will prevent unintentional raising of the knob, by creating a resistance against the movement. The reason why it may be desirable that the knob has more than two defined positions is that straps having different thicknesses, and which require different degrees of clamping in order to be fastened, can be used together with the same type of handle. The degree of clamping will depend on how far down the knob is pushed relatively to the handle.
The operation of the handle is simplified relatively to embodiments having a separate wedge or hinged member for clamping of the strap. The knob is to be operated by being pushed down and raised relatively to the remainder of the handle, for clamping and for releasing of the clamping, respectively. In order to indicate that the knob constitutes a control member it may be made in another colour than the handle, and the directions of movement may be shown by arrows on the knob. Because the knob is locked against loosening from the handle it cannot be lost.